Florida Woman Doused With Gas, Set on Fire

The woman, who is not being identified, is being treated for severe burns, police in Boynton Beach, Fla., told The Palm Beach Post. Her ex-boyfriend, 59-year-old Roosevelt Mondesir, was arrested on suspicion of attempted first-degree murder.

The woman met Mondesir at the 7-Eleven, where they were supposed to exchange custody of their 4-year-old son. But the boy, who was in Mondesir's custody, was not there.

With a history of alleged violence between Roosevelt Mondesir and the woman, the woman started to leave, the Post reports.

That's when Mondesir grabbed a gas canister from his Jaguar and allegedly doused the woman with gasoline.

Surveillance video shows the gas-soaked woman running inside the store and using her body to keep the door shut. But Mondesir, armed with a long knife, forced the door open. He allegedly set the woman on fire as she ran away.

The incident happened shortly before 3 a.m. Monday. Police found Mondesir hiding in nearby bushes about 5:45 a.m. They found the knife and gas container in his car.

Mondesir appeared in court Tuesday, and a judge denied bail. He also denied Mondesir's request for a public defender, because Mondesir's income was too high.

Under Florida law, attempted murder can be punished by a lengthy prison sentence. Defenses include abandonment -- renouncing any criminal intent -- and self-defense. Neither seems to apply in Roosevelt Mondesir's alleged dousing of a woman with gas and setting her on fire.